(Updated) Canucks run out of gas in third, drop 4-2 decision to Flames

Brad Ziemer, The Vancouver Sun03.02.2013

Lee Stempniak of the Calgary Flames wedges himself between defenceman Jason Garrison and Vancouver Canucks netminder Roberto Luongo during Sunday’s National Hockey League game at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary.

CALGARY — Coach Alain Vigneault pinned the blame squarely on referee Kelly Sutherland, but really there was lots of it to go around Sunday night after the Canucks ended what was a crazy day with a 4-2 loss to the Calgary Flames.

His team, for starters, couldn’t put more than two pucks behind a minor-league goalie. And then there was the little matter of Roberto Luongo letting in a soft goal on a shot that appeared to come from just north of Medicine Hat.

But Vigneault wasn’t interested in really breaking down the loss. Thirty minutes after the game had ended, he was still seething about the bench penalty that was called on him midway through the third period by Sutherland.

It came after no call was made on what appeared to be an elbow by Calgary forward Matt Stajan on Canuck defenceman Chris Tanev.

One second after that penalty expired, Jarome Iginla bounced a pass intended for Jiri Hudler off Vancouver defenceman Jason Garrison and past Luongo to break a 2-2 tie.

“That penalty that was given to me in the third period, all I did was stand on the bench and say ‘that’s an elbow,’” a clearly angry Vigneault said. “If the same accountability that is demanded of players and coaches is demanded to referees that’s not acceptable. There’s no way we should lose this game on a call like that.”

Vigneault insisted he said nothing more to the officials and used no profanity.

“Not one God damn word,” he said. “Nothing, I didn’t use the F word, didn’t say a word. I stood on the bench for .5 seconds and said ‘that’s an elbow.’ And that’s how I got two minutes and that’s how they scored their goal. I am done here.”

Vigneault then stormed back into the dressing room area. There would be no other questions.

His outburst ended an unusual 24 hours for the Canucks, who for a time looked like they might never make it to Calgary.

They were originally scheduled to charter here immediately after Saturday night’s 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings at Rogers Arena. But after boarding their plane late Saturday night, they got word that there were visibility issues in Calgary. The players were sent home and told to return for a noon-hour flight on Sunday, but a snow storm hit Calgary Sunday morning and dumped nearly 20 centimetres on the city.

The Calgary airport was shut down for a time and the Canucks didn’t land until about 3:45. They arrived at the rink at about 4:15, less than two hours before the puck was dropped at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

For the players, it felt a little like their junior days, except this time they weren’t riding a bus the whole way to their destination.

“I don’t know, maybe, maybe not,” captain Henrik Sedin said when asked if the crazy travel day played a part in the loss. “There are no excuses. I think we are all used to this from our time in junior or back in Europe. I thought our team felt pretty fresh out there. There wasn’t a problem with our legs or anything like that.

“It was a little crazy, I mean going to the airport last night, thinking you are going to fly to Calgary and then having to drive back to our houses and come back after that. It was a little different, but that’s the way it is.”

For two periods, the Canucks were the better team. Chris Higgins, on a first-period breakaway, gave Vancouver a 1-0 lead, but Luongo gave that one back when he whiffed on a Mike Cammalleri shot from just inside the blue line later in the first.

“It just went off the tip of my glove and in,” Luongo said. “There’s no excuse for it. Just a bad goal.”

Jannik Hansen, whose wife Karen delivered twin boys about 5 a.m. Sunday morning, gave the Canucks another lead early in the second. But Lee Stempniak beat Luongo glove side four minutes later to tie things up.

The Canucks were stymied for much of the night by Danny Taylor, who until recently was playing goal for the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat.

“Tonight their goalie made the first save and the D-men were pretty good at shutting down our second opportunities and we came up short,” said Vancouver winger Alex Burrows.

“I thought in the second period we took over the game, we should have had a few more in the second,” added Henrik Sedin. “They have a solid team over there, they are going to battle each and every night and that’s how they won the game tonight.

“I don’t think we played our best game. We played good enough to win, but it wasn’t close to being our best.”

It was a disappointing end to what had the makings of a wonderful weekend for the Canucks, who played one of their best games of the season in Saturday night’s 5-2 win over the Kings.

“I don’t think it’s a game that got away,” Vigneault said. “I’m real proud of the way we competed and battled tonight. We came here under different circumstances, never used excuses, went out and played real hard and in my opinion we deserved a better outcome.”

Cammalleri, who iced the game with an empty-net goal with 23 seconds remaining, had some sympathy for the Canucks.

“Hey, it’s a tough circumstance for them,” he said. “You’ve got to give some respect to their team. They came out with pretty good jump for a team that had to go through what they went through. To be honest, that’s what you expect from them. They’re a pretty good hockey team.

“We were able to try and keep pushing it in the third and try and wear them down a bit.”

The loss was Vancouver’s first in regulation against a Northwest Division opponent this season. The Canucks dropped to 11-6-4 on the season and are now just two points clear of the Minnesota Wild in the Northwest standings.

ICE CHIPS: The Canucks were scheduled to charter home after Sunday night's game and meet the San Jose Sharks at Rogers Arena on Tuesday night. . .Hansen's twins boys are named Daniel and Lucas. His wife Karen delivered the pair early Sunday morning after the Canucks' Saturday night charter had been cancelled.

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(Updated) Canucks run out of gas in third, drop 4-2 decision to Flames